London Testing Six Diesel Series-Hybrid Buses

4 February 2006

An Electrocity hybrid.

Transport for London, the agency responsible for the city’s transport systems, has introduced six Wrightbus Electrocity series diesel-hybrid buses on an experimental basis to run alongside the Dennis Dart vehicles normally allocated to the route.

The single-deck Electrocity hybrids use an Enova 120kW series-hybrid drive coupled to Enova’s 60kW genset driven by a 1.9-liter Euro-4 common-rail diesel engine (earlier post). The Enova genset is designed to allow integrators to choose the engine best suited to their needs.

The buses have a range of 180–200 miles, with an average speed of 12–15 mph and a top speed of 40–45 mph.

The buses will run on the 360 route linking Elephant Castle and the Royal Albert Hall. An earlier test of a Wrightbus hybrid prototype in 2003 ran on a North London route.

Wrightbus estimates that the Electrocity vehicles will reduce CO2 emissions by at least 30% below Euro-3 conventional bus levels, and provide a significant reduction in other emissions, including NOX.

In earlier testing of an Electrocity bus at the Millbrook proving grounds in the UK, the hybrid emitted 740 g/km of CO2, compared to 1,050 g/km from a Euro-3 diesel that was, however, much lighter.

1.9L diesel engine on a bus? Its gotta be work'n full time!
Max speed is only 45mph and with no hills(?) I guess the design has been fine tuned for the route.
Looks like the socialists in Europe are doing a better job of reducing fossil fuel consumption and saving the planet then we capitalists.